DEP declares statewide Code Purple Air Quality alert for Friday

July 17, 2026

HARRISBURG –The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a statewide Code Purple Air Quality Alert for particulate matter (PM2.5) for Friday, July 17, 2026. Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota will blanket Pennsylvania on Friday, creating Code Purple concentrations of PM2.5. Residents are strongly encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area. Current local conditions could be more severe (Code Maroon) or less severe (Code Red or Code Orange) depending on your location at any given time. Residents should make informed ...

DEP declares Statewide Code Red Air Quality Alert for Thursday, July 16, 2026

July 16, 2026

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a statewide Code Red Air Quality Action Day for particulate matter (PM2.5) for Thursday, July 16, 2026. Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota will be entering Pennsylvania’s northernmost counties and pushing into southern counties Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, creating Code Red concentrations of PM2.5. Residents are strongly encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area. During Code Red Air Quality Alerts all residents should consider limiting their ...

Woman charged for prostitution at Mill Hall spa

July 9, 2026

MILL HALL — Pennsylvania State Police arrested an employee at a local spa and charged her with felony counts related to prostitution following an investigation. Jinwei Wang, 49, last known address Flushing, N.Y., was arrested on Tuesday, July 7 after PSP’s Troop F Vice-Narcotics Unit ...

Mount Nittany workers vote to begin five-day strike on July 27

July 9, 2026

STATE COLLEGE – Hospital workers at Mount Nittany Medical Center voted overwhelmingly to begin a five-day strike on July 27, arguing better working conditions are essential to quality patient care. The workers spoke about the “difficult” decision at a press conference on Thursday ...

Third alarm garage fire brings dozens of firefighters to Castanea Twp. Monday

June 2, 2026

CASTANEA — A third-alarm barn fire brought firefighters from multiple departments to Castanea Township Monday evening, resulting in the loss of a large barn and several vehicles stored inside. Emergency responders were dispatched at approximately 8:13 p.m. on June 1 to 100 Bridge St. for ...

Wawa construction kicks up in Mill Hall area

May 29, 2026

ASHTON PETERS/FOR THE EXPRESS Motorists traveling through the Eagle Valley Road and North Water Street area may notice significant progress at the future Wawa construction site. Crews were observed Friday installing components of the new traffic signal system, with workers both on the ...